Montgomery County officials reach deal to acquire White’s Ferry landing

POOLESVILLE, MD. - Montgomery County officials have confirmed a deal has been reached with the owners of White's Ferry to acquire the ferry operations and the dock area in Poolesville.

The agreement with ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn brings local government directly into the fold as leaders work to restore a vital Potomac River crossing that has been dormant for years.

READ MORE: Future of White's Ferry up for discussion following legal battle

Closed since 2020

Timeline:

The closure traces back to December 2020, when operations abruptly shut down after a court ruled the ferry was trespassing on private Virginia shoreline owned by Rockland Farm, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting. Prior to its closing, the ferry operated for nearly 250 years, carrying 600 and 800 vehicles a day. 

In February 2021, Chuck and Stacy Kuhn purchased White’s Ferry, the store and the Maryland shoreline to protect the historical crossing and attempt to reach a settlement.

READ MORE: White's Ferry owners offer to donate historic ferry to Montgomery County

FOX 5 followed the private negotiations as they stalled over the next few years, with multi-million dollar buyout offers rejected and disputes persisting over per-vehicle landing fees.

According to earlier reporting, the Kuhns offered in April 2024 to transfer or donate the ferry operations to Montgomery County, clearing the path for local government officials to take over direct ownership and work to reopen the crossing.

However, the donation proposal did not immediately result in the ferry reopening because it was contingent on Montgomery County working directly with Loudoun County to gain legal access to the Virginia shoreline, per FOX 5 D.C. Because the property dispute with Rockland Farm on the Virginia side remained unresolved, simply accepting the Maryland assets was not enough to get the boat back in the water.

Additionally, the transfer required time for Montgomery County to negotiate terms, assess operational logistics and establish a formal legal and financial framework to manage the ferry and pursue an agreement across state lines.